Conditional Partial Exchangeability: A Probabilistic Framework for Multi-View Clustering

Standard clustering techniques assume a common clustering configuration for all features in a dataset. However, when dealing with multi-view or longitudinal data, the clusters’ number, frequencies, and shapes may need to vary across features to accurately capture dependence structures and heterogeneity. In this setting, classical model-based clustering fails to account for within-subject dependence across domains. We introduce conditional partial exchangeability, a novel probabilistic paradigm for dependent random partitions of the same objects across distinct domains. Additionally, we study a wide class of Bayesian clustering models based on conditional partial exchangeability, which allows for flexible dependent clustering of individuals across features, capturing the specific contribution of each feature and the within-subject dependence while ensuring computational feasibility. Supplementary materials for this article are available online, including a standardized description of the materials available for reproducing the work.